Startup News (WA)

Perth's Space Angel Awarded $1.75 Million To Progress WA's First Spaceport

Perth spaceport venture Space Angel has won Western Australia's entire $1.75 million spaceport establishment grant, to be paired with its own funds for assessing proposed launch sites and a commercial plan.

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26 WA Businesses Share $1.27 Million In Round Eight Of The Innovation Booster Grant

Western Australia's government has named 26 businesses sharing nearly $1.3 million in round eight of its Innovation Booster Grant, with awards capped at $50,000 spanning medtech, agriculture, mining and Indigenous-led ventures.

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Finalists Announced For The 2026 WA Innovators Of The Year

Western Australia's government has shortlisted 23 companies for the 2026 Innovators of the Year awards across six categories; $310,000 in prizes will be shared in November, and past winners including Kanopy are recalled.

Founder Stories: Two Young Grads Launch Wingman Money, Scoring Your Finances Out Of 100

A launch profile of Wingman Money, a personal finance app built by two University of Queensland graduates that rates financial wellbeing with a single score; its founders earlier took part in Startmate's 2025 pre-accelerator.

WA Government Backs Space Industry With $6.5 Million In Funding

Western Australia's government is putting $6.5 million into the local space sector, dividing it between the AROSE consortium and Curtin University's Binar satellite program, with South Australia's bigger spend cited for comparison.

VGW Founder Laurence Escalante Resigns As CEO Effective Immediately

VGW founder Laurence Escalante has quit as CEO and chairman with immediate effect after months of leave; acting chief Mats Johnson continues while the Perth gaming firm seeks a permanent leader.

Perth Landing Pad Secures $150,000 In Renewed State Funding

WA's government is putting $150,000 into Spacecubed's Perth Landing Pad through 2026, sustaining a 90-day program helping overseas startups enter Western Australia; 100-plus international startups have come through it so far.

SavvyWise Closes $1.56 Million Crowdfunding Raise, Backed By Accountants

Perth tax research startup SavvyWise closed an equity crowdfunding campaign on OnMarket, raising $1.56m from 469 investors, half the capital from accountants, to fund tax-specific AI development.

6 Startups Have Been Shortlisted For The INCITE Awards Start-Up Category

Six early-stage companies from Western Australia are in the running for the INCITE Awards' start-up prize, to be decided in Perth in July; finalist Materia Health earlier received a $500,000 non-dilutive grant.

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Airwallex Launches Latitude 37, A $1 Million Yearly Program Funding Australian AI Founders Under 25

Airwallex has launched Latitude 37, an annual equity-free program giving capital and mentorship to Australian AI founders under 25; Side Stage Ventures also reached a $40m first close on its second fund.

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Curtin Accelerate's 2026 Cohort Lands Two Funding Deals And A Hospital Pilot In 12 Weeks

A university-run startup program in Western Australia finished its latest twelve-week intake, with participating ventures winning a hospital trial and taking products to market faster than any prior group.

Plus Eight Opens 10th Accelerator Cohort With $700,000 Seed Pool & San Francisco Immersion

Perth accelerator Plus Eight, run by Spacecubed, marks ten years and invites applications for its tenth intake, promising participant startups seed funding, mentoring and a San Francisco visit.

WA Government Distributes $2.5 Million Across 14 Organisations Under Innovation Pathways Program

Western Australia's government has awarded nearly $2.56 million in grants to 14 groups running accelerators and education programs via its Innovation Pathways Program, with the next round due November 2026.

SavvyWise Raises $600,000 Seed Round Just Seven Months After Founding

Australian tax-research AI startup SavvyWise has closed an oversubscribed seed round topping $600,000, valuing it at $10 million, seven months after incorporating, with funds going to marketing, specialist tax content and platform development.

21 WA Startups Share $1.9 Million In Latest Round Of IBG & CBG Government Grants

Western Australia's latest Innovation Booster and Commercialisation Bridge grant round gives 21 startups a combined $1.9 million, unveiled at West Tech Fest; two-thirds are regional, First Nations or female-founded ventures.

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Paperly Lands $3M Backing From Purpose Ventures, Tribe Global Ventures, and Skalata

Perth school-administration software company Paperly has raised $3 million, with early backer Purpose Ventures reinvesting alongside Tribe Global Ventures and Skalata, funding growth across Australia, the UK and Asia.

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Uluu Raises $16m Series A, Hits $100m Valuation For Seaweed-Based Plastic Alternative

A Perth venture making compostable plastics from seaweed has banked growth funding to build a larger production plant in Western Australia, with the deal valuing the company above $100 million.

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Andromeda Is Hiring: Who Wants To Build Robots?

Andromeda Robotics is recruiting staff across Australia and the US for its companion robot Abi; the piece recalls a $23 million Series A with Forerunner as lead investor.

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Airtree Launches $650m Fund V, With Global Investors Backing ANZ Tech Ambitions

Airtree has launched Fund V, a $650 million pool divided into seed and growth sleeves and backed largely by global institutions, while promoting three investors, among them Perth-raised Dan Coughlan.

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Student Edge Acquired By Workforce-Tech Platform Year13

Perth student platform Student Edge has been acquired by Sydney workforce-tech company Year13, an exit for its four founders; the deal combines the two Australian youth-focused platforms' career, rewards and research offerings.

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Eastend Ventures Launches $50M Fund To Back Overlooked WA, SA, And QLD Startups

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Dr Marcus Tan Joins Integral As Executive Chair

Startup News reports Dr Marcus Tan, who founded and led HealthEngine, has taken the Executive Chair role at Perth leadership-development firm Integral, which earlier raised angel money including from Rayn Ong.

South Australian Space Startup Paladin Space Takes Aim at Orbit’s Biggest Challenge: Debris

A profile of South Australian firm Paladin Space, which has revealed Triton, a device that captures several pieces of space junk per mission, noting its UniSA accelerator background and coming demonstration milestones.

Sixteen Startups Selected for 2025 Plus Eight Accelerator Phase One

Sixteen WA startups join the 2025 Plus Eight Accelerator's first phase, its largest cohort; top performers will later share seed funding and pitch at an October demo night. Alumni include Matter, acquired by Go1.

Life Sciences WA Launches New Directory to Boost Visibility of WA Innovators

A free directory profiling the Western Australian life sciences sector has gone live on Biotechgate, backed by the state government; the piece also recaps OncoRes Medical's $12 million Series A.

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Curtin Accelerate Kicks Off 2025 Cohort With 12 Startups

Curtin Accelerate has started its 2025 program with twelve Perth founders, offering mentoring, Venture Studio expertise, a modest equity-free grant, AWS credits and potential Kickstart+ investment consideration.

WAVC Initiative Awards $45m in VC Funding

Western Australia's government has grown its WAVC fund-of-funds commitment to $45 million, backing seven venture funds, four WA-based, to invest locally; Skalata's WA portfolio already includes C0-architecture and Omni Biotech.

Betterlabs' Creator Flow Gets Acquired By Roar Global

Roar Global has bought Creator Flow, a marketplace for user-generated content built in BetterLabs' Venture Studio about a year after its May 2023 founding, with no purchase price disclosed.

WA Innovators Share $8.5m In WA Government Grants

Western Australia's government has awarded $8.5 million in grants across three schemes, a health innovation seed fund, commercialisation bridge grants and innovation booster grants, naming dozens of local recipients.

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WeMoney Wins People's Choice Award For Fintech Organisation Of The Year

Perth fintech WeMoney closed a $3 million round and won three Finnies awards, including people's choice fintech organisation of the year; founder Dan Joveski discusses the company's plans for the new capital.

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$547,300 Awarded To Six WA Innovators In Latest X-TEND WA Grants

Six Western Australian innovation programs share $547,300 in the latest X-TEND WA grant round, with applications for the next round open and the maximum grant now $150,000.

WA medtech companies ready to pitch at premier industry event

Eleven WA health organisations, including grant-backed Metabolic Health Solutions, head to the AusMedtech 2024 conference with ministerial support to present devices and pursue new partners.

Meet The 2024 Plus Eight Accelerator Cohort

Startup News profiles the twelve startups chosen for Spacecubed's 2024 Plus Eight intake in Western Australia, naming their founders and crediting the partners behind the program.

Aussie Startups Announced More Than $703m In Raised Capital In Q1 2024

Analysis of Cut Through Ventures' quarterly report: Australian startups secured over $703 million across 66 deals in early 2024, with stage-level medians, sector rankings, and Aravax's $66 million Series B the largest female-founded raise.

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Purpose Ventures Makes Follow-on Investment In Plancare

WA's Purpose Ventures has put more money into Plancare, a self-managed healthcare platform, lifting its cumulative backing to $2.5 million; the article also profiles the fund's founders, portfolio and history.

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WA Government Announces Latest Recipients Of Innovation Booster Grant

WA's government has granted 26 early-stage companies amounts reaching $40,000 each through the Innovation Booster Grant, listing every recipient and project; the program now accepts applications year-round.

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The Australian Startup Having a Crack at the US Defence Market

Sydney satellite startup Quasar joins a US Air Force-backed Colorado accelerator cohort of seven companies, the sole non-American participant, to develop its phased array antenna technology for space tracking.

Whole. Receives Award At Japanese Space-based Ideas Contest For Space Hunger Solution

Perth food-tech company Whole. took out the Shiseido Award at a Japanese space-ideas contest for its WINX ingredient-processing technology, and the piece recalls its 2023 seed round backed by Artesian and GRDC.

Six Questions For Blackbird & Kiki/Girls Who NYC Based On Last Week's Activity

Commentary questioning Kiki's pivot from a sublet marketplace to a New York women's club, revisiting its 2023 seed raise and scrutinising Blackbird's investment judgment, governance and record on female founders.

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Startup West podcast 110: Founders Panel (live) – the Climate for Tech

Year-end podcast episode: a festival panel with the founders of Uluu, Raaise and Electro Ventures on climate tech challenges, wins and plans for 2024.

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Omni Biotech Raises $300k Pre-Seed Round To Make Hydration An Everyday Trackable

Hydration-tracking startup Omni Biotech, based in Perth, has completed a $300,000 pre-seed round from Skalata Ventures to develop phone- and wearable-based hydration monitoring, founders Will Poot and Zac Farrow announced at West Tech Fest.

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Stepping into leadership

Profile of Caitlin Zotti, who became Pin Payments' co-CEO, covering her merchant background, serving small businesses, gender diversity challenges in fintech, and advice for aspiring founders.

Fund WA invests in InterEarth

InterEarth, a Western Australian biomass carbon storage venture, has drawn investment from Fund WA — its third deal — alongside Counteract and Foxglove Capital, and is working with Nasdaq-owned carbon registry Puro.earth.

Startup West podcast 109: Dan Dawson, Paperly

Podcast chat with Paperly founder Dan Dawson, whose education technology company joined a Perth accelerator and won backing from venture fund Purpose Ventures.

Bentley's medical manufacturing leap: Bridgewest's $2M investment sparks local job creation

A $2 million Western Australian government matching grant will help Bridgewest upgrade its Bentley drug-making site, NovaCina, adding production lines and roughly 70 jobs while cutting import dependence.

PharmAust publishes encouraging trial results, and picks new CEO

Perth biotech PharmAust appointed Dr Michael Thurn as chief executive and reported positive urinary biomarker findings from its motor neurone disease trial of drug candidate MPL.

icetana raises $2.3M from investors

Perth-listed video analytics company icetana has secured $2.3 million, with VGW founder Laurence Escalante lifting his holding substantially; CEO Kevin Brown calls the raise a vote of confidence from major shareholders.

Purpose Ventures backs local biotech startup

WA VC fund Purpose Ventures has taken on genetic testing startup Gene S as its fourth investment; earlier 2023 backing of PlanCare, Paperly and IDEAcademy is recalled, and the fund's $45m size noted.

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Hola Health expands into mental health

Hola Health, a telehealth provider, has rolled out psychology consultations and subsidised mental health assessments for Australians, months after taking investment from the newly formed early-stage fund FundWA.

'S*&t the bed' goes mild at Woolies

Profile of the WA hot-sauce maker behind the Bunsters brand, whose milder-named sauce landed in Woolworths, with a US Walmart listing and a TV appearance ahead.

Startup West podcast 107: Intan Oldakowska, Earflo

Podcast chat with Earflo chief executive Intan Oldakowska about her team's device for children's chronic ear infections and the WA government grant that will fund its commercialisation.

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Wide Open Agriculture goes west

ASX-listed Wide Open Agriculture has announced a A$4.2 million (€2.5 million) cash deal to buy German lupin protein maker Prolupin, gaining European manufacturing, patents and trademarks, subject to creditor approval.

Purpose Ventures Fund grows to $45M, announces 3rd investment

WA education startup IDEAcademy has raised A$1.3 million in a round led by Purpose Ventures, whose debut fund has reached $45 million after adding $8 million in fresh commitments.

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Plus Eight selects its 2023 startup investments

Perth's Plus Eight accelerator has picked six startups for its 2023 program, collectively backed with over $400,000 in seed funding, plus an Israel trip and a December Demo Night slot.

Wevolt accelerates national expansion

Perth EV charging startup Wevolt has rolled its software out to charging stations across three more Australian states, having earlier in 2023 won a Western Australian government innovation grant.

FundWA announces 2nd investment, in VitalTrace

FundWA has backed Perth medtech VitalTrace as the second deal from its debut fund. The biosensor startup's co-founders took out a 2021 WA Innovator of the Year award.

Startup West podcast 105: Simon Anderson, Notis and Swayz

Simon Anderson discusses building school engagement platform Notis over a decade with overseas funding, and his newer social video app Swayz, on Perth's Startup West podcast.

Two new WA investment syndicates announce first target deals

Two new Western Australian syndicates, West Tech Investor Network and VentureX Capital, have unveiled debut deals via the Aussie Angels platform, eyeing Procuracon and HeyLady; an earlier $100,000 outlay across three startups is recalled.

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Learn how to raise money over dinner

WA venture fund Purpose Ventures stages a discounted founders' dinner on preparing for investment, backed by a state industry fund program and featuring WA founders; the event has since sold out.

Youngest ever entrepreneur reels in Shark Tank deal

A Western Australian schoolboy and his mother struck a televised pitch-show deal: three unnamed sharks bought 20% of Glossy Boys, their boys' nail polish venture, for $75,000, pending due diligence.

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